The Price Paid
by Asahi Minako
Summary: A series of robberies have been occuring all over Central by a not so subtle phantom theif. Roy's unit is assigned to capture the theif, but the case continues to get mysterious. Shounen & Shoujo ai RoyEd
1. Prologue

**AM: Okay, here it is! The Prologue to the sequel to Two Years Past. Don't worry if you haven't read Two Years Past. You don't need to read it to understand what's going on. Two Years Past has almost no plot...  
TK: True... no plot at all...  
AM: Anyway, I hope you all like this, it was fun to write... XD Yay me!  
TK: Well, I like it so far  
AM: That makes me feel special!**

**WARNING: This story contains not only shounen ai, but shoujo ai. Don't flame be because I put two women or men together in a romantic relationship, you clicked the story, you're reading it, it's YOUR RISK. Also, please don't call my OCs Mary Sues unless you can specify exactly _how_ they are Mary Sueish... kay?**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, however, Tirist and Grace blong to me.**

**AM: Okay, now onto the Prologue!  
TK: wooo... TxT**

**

* * *

****Prologue**

A grey clothed woman slinked down the alleyways of Central in the cover of night, her long blonde hair, unbound and flowing behind her. She eyed her target, across the street, with bright orange eyes, unnatural to anything human. The Yoshiho Jewelry Store, boasting to hold a rare ruby necklace, like no other. A sinister grin spread across the woman's face, showing sharp, animal-like fangs. She jumped straight up into the air, almost 20 feet, to land on the building she had been standing next to a few moments earlier. She crouched down, and readied herself, as a cat would prepare to pounce on a mouse. A grey tail, previously hidden inside a long grey trench coat, provided balance, as the woman leapt from one building to the top of the jewelry store, all the way across the street, silently as a ninja. Another sinister grin crossed her face, as she looked over the side of the building. For one of the biggest jewelry stores in Central, the security wasn't very tight. They were, however, prepared for her, she could tell by the guard posted outside the door. This would be fun!

The woman jumped down from the building, landing just as silently ad before, and turned the corner, an innocent smile on her face. The guard jerked his head in the direction of the movement he had seen, "Wh-who's there?" he asked shakily.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said, moving from the shadows, "I didn't mean to scare you" she lied.

"It's no problem miss" the guard said, blushing when he caught sight of the woman's cleavage, on the low-cut shirt she was wearing under the trench coat.

This didn't pass by her, and she smirked subtly.

"You probably should get home, though. There's a thief who's targeting this building tonight." The guard warned, scratching the back of his neck.

"I know" the woman said, that sinister grin crossing her face again, "She's right in front of you" she announced, hitting the guard in the back of the neck, in a certain place, to render him unconscious.

She approached the door, pushing on it lightly, and the bells on it jingled. She cursed softly, shoving the door all the way open, and slipping into the shadows, since the entire building was unlit, and the only light provided came from the quarter-moon outside. The guards approaching the door would be at a disadvantage, since they couldn't see in the dark. That was the plus side of having DNA that was fused with that of a cat, all the abilities of said animal became hers. She silently jumped up onto one of the glass cases in the store, and crouched down. She jumped to the case near the one she was on, causing the guards to jerk their heads in the direction of the motion they saw from the corner of their eyes.

The grey-clad woman jumped from case to case, the guards following her, until she reached the back of the room. She looked over her shoulder at the guards, orange eyes holding a malicious glint, as she smirked, allowing a fang to show. She jumped from the case she was perched on, to the floor, and sauntered over to a small square case at the very back of the room.

"Stop right there!" a guard called, pointing a finger a few inches from the woman's face. She looked at the offending digit for a few seconds, and blinked twice. She leaned an arm on the case and chuckled. "Don't laugh! You're under arrest!" the same guard shouted, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

Ah, so they were policemen, not guards. The woman pulled a grey glove off her fight hand, revealing a hand somewhat human, but with claw-like fingernails tipping each finger. The policemen gawked at the woman in shock. Then the thief casually traced a circle in the glass with a claw-like nail. She blinked at them again, and smirked, forming a fist with her bare hand, she punched through the glass case, a loud crash echoing throughout the room. She reached in, and grabbed a very elaborate silver bracelet, with amber stones imbedded in it.

"By the way, my name's Tirist" she purred, hopping onto the case she had just emptied. She crouched down, and looked up at the banister on the second floor. "Thanks for the gift!" she said, as she leaped up and grabbed the banister with one hand, digging her claws into it. She swung her legs over the banister, and kicked out a nearby glass window, "See ya!" she said, as she winked and jumped out the window.

"Shit" one of the officers cursed, they were going to look extra incompetent now.

* * *

**AM: I know, it was short, but it was the prologue. Okay? Okay. Tell me what you think of it so far, though I know it's kind of difficult to judge since this is the prologue... maybe I'll put up chapter one tonight too... holds finger to chin in thought  
TK: I don't really care what you do...  
AM: Of course you don't... as long as I'm writing, you wouldn't care if I got run over by an airplane! You'd be more concerned about my story never being finished!  
TK: Your cruel words ring true...  
AM: TxT I hate you...  
TK: We all know that's not true!  
AM: ...**

** -Ai (love)**

**Minako-baka **


	2. Chapter I

**AM (Asahi Minako): Well, I decided to post this chapter too….  
TK (Tori-kun): Yay for you TxT  
AM: Oh, hush… you know you're happy….  
TK: Sure… whatever you say, Minako-baka….  
AM: By the way, Recently I've become obsessed with D.N. Angel… so beware if my updates aren't as frequent as I'd like them to be. I'd also like to say that my beta is grounded until midterm… Which is… the 18 I think… so I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes… really, I do.  
TK: Lack of a beta isn't really an excuse for bad grammar and spelling…  
AM: IT'S MOSTLY COMMAS! I'M BAD WITH COMMAS! XP  
TK: Whatever… just get on with it….  
AM: Okay!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, however, Akatsuka, Ms. Jukado, Hatsue as well as the crazy first nameless 2nd Lieutenants are from my own imagination.**

* * *

**Chapter I**

"Another one, sir" Major Riza Hawkeye said, placing a manila folder on Roy's desk and saluting.

Roy stared at the file incredulously, "Another?"

Edward sighed, "This is getting out of hand" he remarked, standing up from the couch he was sitting on, and walked behind Roy's desk, reading the file over the older man's shoulder, "Christ" he muttered picking up a picture.

"This is the third this month," Roy said, looking up at the major and nodding. In turn, Hawkeye turned on her heels and left the room.

"Good morning, Your Excellency, The Fuhrer" she said, standing in the doorway and saluting.

"Good morning, Major, at ease" a voice said in return, and Riza relaxed a little bit, and left the room.

A man wearing the military uniform of the Fuhrer stepped into the room, when Riza left. He was tall, not quite Armstrong tall, but taller than the average man, and he certainly didn't look like a military man. The handsome love interest of a shoujo manga heroine, maybe, but not the leader of a military ruled dictatorship. His hair was a light blonde, a little unruly looking, but it didn't take away from the aura of dignity he held around him. Narrow green eyes portrayed wisdom beyond his years, however something was off, and the man couldn't have been older than thirty; he looked so young.

The two officers in the room snapped into a salute.

"Good morning, General Mustang, Colonel Elric." He greeted, then added, "At ease"

The two relaxed, and the Fuhrer scratched his head almost comically, "Let's see now" he said to himself, "Why did I come here?" He turned to look at a woman standing beside him, "Jukado?" he asked her.

Ms. Jukado sighed. She wasn't abnormally tall, about the same height as Havoc. She had sharp, icy blue eyes, and light blonde hair pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head, making her appear older than she really was. She pushed her oval shaped glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Sergeant Ishida, sir" she reminded him.

"Oh! Right!" the Fuhrer exclaimed, smiling, "But first, I wanted to congratulate the two of you." He said, his smile broadening.

"On what, sir?" Mustang asked.

The tall man smirked and held up his left, hand and wiggled his ring finger, "I hear the two of you are engaged." He said, grinning.

The two looked at him, horror painted on their faces. What the hell? How did he figure that out? Were they really that obvious? Would they be court marshaled for fraternization?

The man's smirk returned, "Don't worry, I don't have a problem with it. Love is love. You have my blessings"

Edward smiled, and Roy let out a relived breath.

"Fuhrer Akatsuka, there's no time for casual conversation, you have a meeting at noon." Ms. Jukado prodded.

Akatsuka let out an exasperated breath, "Okay, okay, you're right" he confirmed, "General Mustang, I'm adding another officer to your unit" His face, that had been strictly business when he said that, changed quickly into a comical grin, "M'kay?" he asked.

Ms. Jukado rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Of course sir" Mustang agreed.

Ms. Jukado handed the dark haired man another manila folder.

"There's her file and stuff," Akatsuka said, and Jukado frowned at his choice of words. He sighed and looked at the woman next to him in exasperation, "And now, Jukado insists that I go…" he sighed again, and turned on his heels, "See you!" he threw over his shoulder, and waved, while walking out the door, Ms. Jukado following close behind him.

"Fraternization between co-workers, isn't that against the rules?" Ms. Jukado asked, clutching a coffee colored notebook to her chest.

"I could care less about that man's rules, Jukado," The blonde Fuhrer said.

"Sir?"

"King Bradley is better off dead," he said, smirking, "the man who killed him deserves one hell of a promotion."

Ms. Jukado smiled knowingly, and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

o0o

Edward looked at the door, after the blonde man for a few moments, before turning to Roy who had long since gone back to his work, "Should I be worried?" he asked.

"About what?" Roy asked, as he flipped through the file Ms. Jukado had given him.

"That man, being head of the country." The blonde man clarified.

Roy chuckled, "Akatsuka's not that bad. A little scatterbrained, but I think he could be a good leader." He said, and then grinned, "Though I'd _still_ be better!"

Ed rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

There was a knock on the door, and Roy sat up straight, "Come in!" he called out in his 'authoritative' voice.

The door opened, and a woman a few inches shorter than Roy, with very short brown hair stepped into the room. Her eyes were a light green, almost yellow color, and the badges on her shoulders identified her as a sergeant. She took another step into the room, and neatly saluted, "Sergeant Hatsue Ishida" she introduced herself.

"At ease" Roy said, waving her further into the room.

"Oh!" the brunette woman exclaimed, remembering something, "the Fuhrer told me to give you this" she said, handing Roy an envelope.

The dark haired man opened the envelope, and smirked, as he read over the letter inside silently.

"What is it, Roy?" Edward asked, neither realizing that the new addition to Roy's unit wasn't aware of their relationship. She however, said nothing about the usage of first names.

"It looks as though the entire unit is being assigned to _investigate_ the recent robbery cases," Roy said, pointing to the letter in his hand. Hatsue flinched a little, but neither alchemist noticed.

"I suppose we should find the others then" Edward muttered, sitting back down on the black leather couch.

Just then, the door was swiftly kicked open. Standing in the doorway was a flustered, embarrassed, and angry looking raven-haired woman, "Do these two belong to you?" she asked, loudly, stepping further into the room, dragging two forms behind her, one in each hand. The two forms turned out to be Havoc and Fury, who were both being held by the collar of their uniforms. Fury looked about as flustered and embarrassed as the raven-haired woman, and Havoc was grinning dazedly. They both looked a little unorganized, leading Roy to believe that the woman had caught them making out somewhere. "The Janitor's Closet is for cleaning implements _ONLY_!" She yelled, and flung the two, who both landed on the ground, arse first. She then stormed out of the room, muttering something about simply looking for a mop. Riza entered the room again, glaring at the two men, as she passed them.

Roy chuckled as Havoc stood up, rubbing his bruised rear end. (1) "Damn bitch is stronger than she looks" he remarked.

Fury fell backward so he was lying on the floor, and covered his face with his hands.

When Havoc noticed Hatsue, who had backed toward a wall, for fear of the scary raven-haired woman, and attempted to introduce himself, Breda and Farman entered the room. Breda immediately formed a fist, and bashed the blonde first lieutenant on the head, "Don't flirt with the new girl! You've already got a boyfriend!"

"I was trying to be nice, you jackass!" Havoc defended himself, poking the other man in the chest. The fight that ensued was something akin to a Three Stooges act. With some cheering from Farman, and attempts to stop the quarrel from Fury.

The whole thing stopped abruptly when a man with dark mocha hair, and olive green eyes poked his head out from behind the couch, causing Edward to jump up in surprise. The man looked around, and silently left the room, and the second the door clicked shut, the entire unit exchanged confused glances. Edward opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of enraged yelling from the raven-haired woman, and panicked yelling from who they supposed to be the brunette man. Riza growled, pulled a pistol out of her holster, clicked off the safety, and walked out of the room.

There was a gunshot, and the sound of Riza yelling, and then everything went quiet. Riza entered the room again, replacing the gun in the holster, and smiling, a little _too_ sweetly.

"Right then!" Roy said as he closed the folder and chuckled.

o0o

"So, what was up with that outburst today?" Edward asked, stirring the tomato sauce on the stove.

Roy chuckled, "Those two, 2nd Lieutenants Asahi and Kino, along with a few others came in when Akatsuka became Fuhrer. I think they know him personally, and he was the one who made them join. I don't believe they're cut out for military work" the dark haired man said propping his head up with his fist.

Edward smirked, turning off the heat on the stove, "So, what are you thoughts on those robberies?" he asked.

"Well, obviously they were done by the same person… and it also seems that Akatsuka and I think alike. He believes the abduction of a small girl, last week is connected to these robberies."

The blonde wrinkled his nose, and placed a plate of spaghetti in front of Roy, "How so?" he asked, sitting down at the table and serving himself.

Roy shook his head, "Just a hunch, Koi. I'll explain this whole thing in more detail tomorrow."

* * *

**AM: Well, there's Chapter one! I hope it's okay…. I don't know, it may still be too late to judge…. But how is it so far?  
TK: It sucks!  
AM: Well, you were being nice for a while back there….  
TK: I've never been nice!  
AM: TxT Whatever, see you next time (visit my LJ for status on stories, previews of what's to come, some occasional brainstorm sessions, and insane randomness) (asahi-minako. livejournal. com)  
TK: Must you advertise that every time?  
AM: Yes! Anyway, here's what I have to say:**  
(1)No… it's not like that! Only cause he landed on his ass, hard! XP  
**TK: You have a sick mind, you know that?  
AM: Yes... XP**

**-Ai (love)**

**Minako-baka XD **


	3. Chapter II

**AM: Okay…. So I'm going to guess that about 70 people have read my story, since I checked the story stats, and it said 70 hits on chapter two… That's awesome! I'm not really confident about my work, but since you guys have even read my story I'm thrilled.  
TK: But there's a catch, eh?  
AM: Right… Those people who put review replies in their stories, they usually get more reviews because people want to see their name in the story. Am I right? God knows I'm guilty of doing it. Well, we're not allowed to do review replies in stories now, so hows about if you review I'll put you in a thanks list right here at the top? Eh? Sound like a good deal?  
TK: She's just desperate for praise, don't help her.  
AM: NO! PLEASE JUST SAY SOMETHING LIKE: "INTRESTING" OR EVEN "UPDATE" A ONE WORD REVIEW AND I'LL PUT YOUR NAME ON THE THANKS LIST! XD  
TK:…………… You're pathetic, you know that?  
AM: yes n.n  
TK:rolls eyes:**

**Thank you: Neo Diji, and Slaugthered.Wings**

**Disclaimer: Nope… n.n**

**AM: Anyway, here's the next chapter XD  
TK: wooo… TxT**

**

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**

**Chapter II**

Tirist leapt from building to building down the street, making no noise at all. _'Another night, another theft, another step closer'_ she thought as she jumped off a tall building as if she was hopping off the last stair of a staircase. She slinked to the jewelry store across the street and peered inside the window. Empty, nobody at all was there. She frowned, and listened hard, a rat in the dumpster a block down, a dog about a mile and a half away, too far away. A mouse and its babies in the alleyway to her right, and a spider crawling up the side of the store. Nothing inside… How was that possible? How could she not hear anything? Her hearing was 10 times better than a normal human's. (1) She sighed in frustration; maybe the jewelry store just didn't care… Or maybe they were more prepared than she thought. Oh well, whatever the case, she could get out of it, she was, after all invincible. The blonde thief pushed open the wooden door, and her cat like ears twitched as the door creaked, and she swore she heard the pulling of a rope. When she opened the door further, her suspicions proved correct when a large rope net fell over her head. She laughed loudly and pulled off a grey glove. Slicing through the net she made her way to the middle of the room. Really, were the police so stupid that they believed a petty net would stop Phantom Thief Youkai Tirist? In the center of the room in a glass display case sat an elaborate silver necklace with large rubies embedded in the piece. "Impressive" she mused as she heard the safety of a police issue pistol click off. …the hell? The grey clad woman looked over her shoulder to see the head of the police group she had played with just the night before. The guard made a motion with his head, and Tirist glared at him as she found about six of those crappy pistols pointed at her head. She finally noticed that that ass of a policeman was a good foot taller than her. Hmm, what a sticky situation this was…

"Looks like we got you this time, eh, Tirist?" the man asked.

Tirist's glare only intensified, he really thought he had her, didn't he? She made a noise by sucking on her teeth and sighed, "Yup, seems that way" she confirmed. The police officer smirked, apparently he had misinterpreted what she said, he also missed the amused glint in inhuman orange optics. Mulling over her options in her head, she smirked. She ducked and tried hard not to laugh when she heard the officer make a strange frustrated noise that reminded her of both an elephant's trumpet, and a pig's grunt. "But looks can be deceiving, Officer" she added, as she jumped onto a rather tall case.

The officer growled and approached the case, "Okay, kitten, time to get down," He cooed in a strange sugary sweet voice.

Tirist bristled at the word 'kitten' so that's how its gonna be, eh? She jumped to the floor and approached the man, coming so close their noses almost touched. She could feel the barrel of the gun digging into her stomach, but she paid it no mind, "I. Am. Not. A. Kitty Cat." She hissed, she could sense the man tensing his hold on the trigger, and in almost lightning speed, she was behind him, her still ungloved hand pressed to his cheek, "My dear Officer, it has been fun, but believe it or not, I'm on a schedule that I must keep" she said patting his cheek and kicking the entire case holding the ruby necklace over. She let go of the man, and picked up the necklace, "pretty" she murmured, before disappearing out the door.

"Godammit!" the head officer muttered. Again?

**o0o**

"No fucking way!" came a screech from outside Roy's office.

Out of curiosity, Havoc poked his head out the door, to see the scary raven-haired woman, standing at her desk hands resting on the morning newspaper. "That bitch stole my necklace!" She yelled. The brunette man from the day before sauntered over to the woman's desk. "I've been saving for two years to buy that necklace!" she yelled in the man's face.

"Second Lieutenant Asahi!" the man bellowed, his face about two inches away from her own, "Kindly keep your complaints to yourself!" he ordered.

"Screw you, bastard!" she yelled right back.

Havoc decided to leave the two to argue on their own, and shut the door.

"So then" Mustang said, meriting everyone in the room's attention. "We have been assigned to investigate the recent robberies appearing all around Central."

Roy began to explain all he knew about the cases, producing photos when possible, "So far, the only stores targeted have been jewelry stores. But unlike most thefts, instead of taking everything in the store, they steal one item, granted it is usually the most expensive, but still unusual. The day before a theft happens the store is warned in a unique way." He pulled out a photograph, "This has been found by each of the items that has been stolen, the morning before the robbery," he said pointing to the corner of the picture. He passed the picture to Fury, who was standing nearest his desk. The picture showed a glass case, with a hole that appeared to have been punched in. Under the hole was written in neat, but elaborate cursive, in what looked to be deep red lipstick:

Tirist 

"Tirist?" Fury asked, passing the photo to Havoc, "Is that supposed to be a name?"

Roy shrugged, "we're not sure"

"Sounds Drachmanian" Hatsue said quietly. (2)

Riza spoke up, "Is she copying Psiren from Aqroya?"

Edward shook his head, "Psiren contacted major newspapers, but this Tirist person leaves a personal message in the store.

"Wonder if she's hot" Havoc said aloud, earning a smack on the back of the head from both Fury and Breda. (3)

The Fuhrer's secretary took that moment to enter the room, "Please don't ask," she muttered, "The Fuhrer has a new report on another message from Tirist." She said.

"And why didn't he call?" Edward asked raising an eyebrow.

"Like I said, don't ask." The blonde woman said, as the phone rang.

"General Mustang" Roy greeted, his eyebrows shooting up when the person on the other line introduced themselves. Ms. Jukado's frown increased as she stormed out of the office muttering about sadistic rulers. "Of course, sir" Roy responded into the receiver, "Yes, okay… Yes, we'll be right there" a long pause, "Goodbye, sir." He said and hung up the phone.

"I'm guessing that was Akatsuka" Edward muttered.

"Right, and just like Ms. Jukado said, a new claim from Tirist has been found. This on was in the store across the street from the robbery they made two nights ago. The dark haired man explained.

"That means we can check out both sites," Edward concluded. Roy nodded, he wanted to get this case solved soon, the wedding was in two weeks, and almost nothing was planned.

**o0o**

Jukado looked across the room at the blonde man signing papers. She smiled fondly, he was somewhat scatterbrained, and always had his mind on something or other than the task at hand. She knew that deep in the man's heart he didn't want to run the country, too bad he hadn't realized it yet. She let out a breath, and smiled in amusement, no matter where the man went, she'd follow him. Sometimes she reminded herself of the loyal subordinates of Roy Mustang, save for the new sergeant. They were willing to follow the man anywhere, especially Colonel Elric. She sighed, Colonel Elric and the general were so close. She envied them……

"Jukado?" Akatsuka questioned, looking up from his papers for a moment, "Is everything okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Ms. Jukado didn't even notice she had been staring off into space, "Everything's fine, sir." She replied, returning to her work.

"Keep your eye on Brigadier General Damon." He muttered, "there's something funny about him…."

"Yes sir"

* * *

**AM:shrugs: I'm not too fond of the ending, but you've gotten to see a little more of Tirist. Eh, I can't think right now, but I'm sorry, I meant for this too be out on Sunday…. TxT It wasn't…… Sorry….. Umn, anyway, here's what I have to say:**

**(1)I don't think a cat's hearing is 10 times better than a humans, but please don't make assumptions yet. TxT there's a lot of stuff you still don't know.  
(2)Yay for made up words! XD  
(3) I think Fury and Havoc need to have a talk…. TxT**

**TK: ...  
AM: Now, go and review, and I won't throw my paper shuriken (ninja throwing stars):waves origami shuriken menacingly:  
TK: ……  
AM:Begins throwing shuriken at readers who try to escape without reviewing: Don't forget, I'll thank you personally if you review!**

**-Ai (love)**

**Minako-baka XD**


	4. Chapter III

**AM: Woot, I'm not late this time XD and I'm still not getting reviews…. FINE! I HATE YOU ALL TOO! (chucks paper shuriken at everyone) XP (just kidding, I love you all)  
TK: Will you stop abusing the readers? They won't read if you abuse them!  
AM: good point…. (puts remaining shuriken back on desk) sorry….. Anyway, here's chapter three…. XP  
Thank you: Dying Tears**

**Disclaimer: Eh… I wish…. TxT Tirist is still mine!**

**TK: We all know that murderous cat girl is yours…. Arakawa-sensei wouldn't make someone so twisted…..  
AM: I'm sure she would, there are some twisted people in the manga… Anyway, here we go….. I hope it doesn't suck too much…. Apparently people hate the story though…. That makes me sad….**

* * *

**Chapter III**

"She moved like a cat!" one of the policemen exclaimed, "It was inhuman! She was jumping from case to case" he said pointing a finger at one case, and moving it to another in a bouncing motion.'

"But you said she _looked_ human" Havoc said, wiggling the cigarette in his mouth in thought.

"Kinda" the policeman replied.

"_Kinda?_" Edward asked.

"Well she had a human _body_, but…" he trailed off, trying to chose the right words, "She was like a cat woman"

Edward wrinkled his nose, "What?"

"Well, she had cat ears and a tail, but…" The man tried to explain.

Havoc nodded, he understood pretty well. "Chimera" Edward muttered.

"Hmmm?" Havoc hummed in question.

"The thief, I think she's a chimera" the younger blonde clarified.

"Well, that would explain the claw marks." Roy said, coming up behind the two blondes.

"Claws?" The two asked in unison.

Roy nodded and motioned for the two to follow him. Edward followed, but Havoc stayed behind, he wanted to hear everything the policeman had to say, any small detail may help.

Edward looked at the wooden banister in shock. It looked as though a tiger, or another large cat decided to climb the side of the wall. There were five deep gashes in the dark polished wood. This only convinced the blonde man further that they were dealing with a chimera. "Jeez…" he muttered.

Havoc made his way up the stairs, "Apparently this chick punched a hole in the—Jesus!" he exclaimed catching sight of the claw marks.

"Sir" Riza said, coming over to the three, Hatsue in tow. "We found this by the window" she said, holding up a small piece of paper.

Edward took the paper from her and examined it. The only thing on white slip were the words, "Youkai Tirist" in the same elaborate cursive, only in red ink instead of lipstick.

"Youkai?" Edward questioned.

"It's Drachmanian (1)" Hatsue said, "it means demon"

"Are you from Drachma?" Havoc asked. The woman seemed to know what she was talking about whenever she mentioned Drachma, which only led him to believe she was from the country.

"I was born there, and I lived there until I was 14, then I moved, and became a citizen here." The sergeant explained.

"So, does Tirist have a meaning?" Roy asked.

The brunette woman nodded, "Tirist is a pretty uncommon name, but it's female, and it means 'Spirit'"(2)

"Demon Spirit?" Edward asked, "Why would someone call themselves that?"

Hatsue shrugged.

"Maybe to intimidate people?" Riza suggested.

"We'll find out tonight when we catch her." Roy said, a confident smirk playing over his features.

o0o

It was very dark, and Edward could tell Fury didn't like it. "Isn't it the police's job to catch thieves?" he whined.

"If they can, yes" Roy replied, "But it's more our job, since the police force is under our jurisdiction."

"Right, because the military runs everything." Ed reminded, earning a dry chuckle from the other officers.

The doors were flung open a moment later, and a woman's silhouette stood in the doorway. She walked into the room and blinked orange eyes, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…." She counted aloud, "Military personnel?" A grin crossed her face, revealing fangs, "This could be fun." She said.

"This has gone on long enough" Edward said, attempting to play the hero, "I've ment thieves using alchemy to steal before, and-"

Tirist rolled her eyes, "What makes you think I'm using alchemy?" she asked.

"There is no way you could punch a hole through that thick glass with only your bare hands." Edward reasoned.

"I don't use alchemy…" she said, "Using alchemy to steal, that's cheating."

"Cheating?" Riza asked skeptically.

Tirist scoffed, "I don't have time to explain my ideals to you, I'm on a schedule." With that she took off running through the middle of the group of military personnel, right between Farman and Havoc.

She was impossibly fast, definitely inhuman, Ed noted. The ears and tail confirmed his suspicions of a chimera.

Without stopping, she leapt up onto the glass counter with cat-like grace. Roy's unit followed her, surrounding it. Jean and Riza had their guns trained on her, Roy held his fingers in a snapping position, Edward was prepared to clap, and Breda and Farman were prepared to grab her if she moved. She looked at Riza, out of the corner of her eye, a pained expression crossing her face, but as quickly as it came, it disappeared, a smirk taking its place. Her next move was so fast nobody even saw it. She jumped over their heads, and landed on the floor behind them before they had time to react.

"The hell!" Edward exclaimed.

"Impossible" Roy breathed.

"Aww, don't act so surprised" Tirist whined, running a gloved finger along the angle of the case she was now leaning on. "You really underestimated me" she muttered, before forming a fist and punching a hole in the glass. She pulled a silver bracelet decorated with turquoise stones out of the hole and put it on her wrist. The unit stared in wonderment. That woman just broke through three inches of solid glass with her hands! It must be automail, Edward cloncluded.

"Automail?" he voiced

Another smirk from the chimera, "nope" she said removing the grey glove and brushing her fingertips across the blonde man's cheek. Long grey claw-like nails scraping lightly against his skin. He jerked away, and the thief chuckled deep in her throat. "I've got what I came here for" she said, replacing the glove, "Be seeing you" she said, then ducked as a bullet whizzed over her head. Again she looked at Riza. In the blink of an eye she was behind the blonde gunwoman, one hand on her shoulder, and the other on her cheek. "Pretty girl" she said in the woman's ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end, "It's a shame" she flicked her tongue out and ran it across the shell of the gunner's ear.

Riza jerked forward in alarm, and turned around, pointing the pistol in her hand at the thief's head. The grey clad chimera chuckled again, and ran out the door at her super human speed, leaving the officers standing there. Riza was blushing, but the other were standing at the door. The thought running through all their minds: _'How did this happen?_'

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**AM: First of all, I must set your minds at ease: Riza will _NOT_ be paired with Tirist! Tirist will be paired with no one! I SWEAR! I WILL NEVAR PAIR AN OC WITH A NORMAL CHARACTER THAT GOES AGAINS ALL MY BELIEFS! XP  
TK: I'm so relieved…. TxT  
AM: I know you are, my dear Tori-kun  
TK: …………………………..  
AM: Anyway, here's what I have to say:**

**(1) Uh, it's actually Japanese, but let's pretend it's Drachmanian for a while, m'kay?  
(2) Actually, it's a name I made up, and it means nothing…. But please humor me here X/  
**

**TK: feuh…  
AM: Anyway, I'd really like at least two reviews before I update again, because I want to know if this story is good or bad! I need to know! If not enough people review I'll assume that everyone hates it, and I'll delete it… I don't want to take up space on servers with a story nobody likes. So please review!**

**-Ai (love)**

**Minako-baka**


	5. Chapter IV

**AM: Okay, just for warning, I'm going by the manga in most situations. In the manga a homunculus is not created from a failed human transmutation. Though I'm not sure how they're created (since it's not actually said how in the manga) I'll just make up my own way…. Ah… yeah, I don't want anyone correcting me and telling me that Dante created the homunculi by giving the failed human transmutations Philosopher's Stones. In the manga that's not the case… and I don't like the anime anyway…. MANGA FOREVER! Anyway, I'm going to post every Saturday from now on, I hope that's okay... I don't want to post every day... 'cause that would finish the story too quickly.  
TK:...  
AM: Anyway, that's really all I have to say...**

**Thank You: your buddy (cough)chelsea-chan(cough), Hotaru no Sata-n, and kaname89, who reviewed last chapter XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, or Ed and Roy would be together... XD **

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**Chapter IV**

Edward sat at one of the many tables in the Central Library surrounded by books, notes, and case files. He was currently going through last night's events in his head, writing down bits of information that may prove useful later. She couldn't do alchemy. Was that because she was a chimera? Or was there another reason? Then there was her speed, she was uncannily fast, and though being fused with the DNA of a feline would increase her speed a good amount, no cat could move that fast. _'It's a shame'_ that was what she said to Riza. What's a shame? That Riza couldn't catch her? And what about the pained look she gave the woman? It was quick, and at first Edward thought he had imagined it, but maybe he hadn't.

Enigmatic, that was the best word to describe the "Demon Spirit", Youkai Tirist. In all the books he read on cats, there was no match to the one she was fused with. "This woman is a mystery," he said out loud. There was no doubt in his mind that the woman was a chimera, but her speed was impossible to match by any animal. It was almost like she wasn't human… "A homunculus?" he asked aloud. She wasn't named after a sin, though. "Just because all the homunculi I've come across before were named after sins doesn't mean all of them are, though" he argued with himself. Maybe some alchemist created a homunculus with super speed. He scribbled something down in a notebook. Though she may not be a homunculus… The only way to be sure was to find the tattoo of Oroborus on her body, or draw blood and watch her heal herself. He sighed and continued to go through the books.

o0o

"Here" Tirist said, setting the turquoise bracelet onto the desk with a _clank_.

"Very good" a low voice praised. The owner of the voice was seated in a chair looking at Tirist from the corner of his eye. He had long white hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were grey-blue, and glinted with something cruel, yet eager. "You're a good girl, Tirist" he praised. Tirist growled, and narrowed her eyes at the man, who laughed deep in his throat, "Really, you're perfect." He said and reached out to rub one of the chimera's ears. The chimera jerked away quickly, her eyes narrowing further.

"Neko, just give me my damn assignment" she ordered, radiating anger.

The man sighed and handed her a slip of paper. Tirist snatched it from him, and smirked, pulling out a tube of red lipstick "You know" Neko said, propping his cheek up in his hand, "I didn't ask you to make a show of it."

"You didn't ask me not to" Tirist countered, venom leaking from her voice. She hated this man, he was so crooked, worse then her. She didn't trust him in the least, but working for him was the only way…. "Besides, I've been a thief longer than you've been employing me, and this is how I do things."

Neko only smiled, "Okay, okay, off with you then" he said, amusement laced in his voice as he waved his hand to shoo her out of the room. The slam of the large wooden door announced the thief's exit, and Neko smirked to himself. "The perfect human, the perfect chimera, the perfect thief… the perfect creation" he said before picking up the ruby necklace stolen a few nights ago by the elusive thief.

o0o

Edward growled, "I. Don't. Get it!" he shouted, then ducked, expecting a librarian to come around the corner and "shush" him. When none came, slammed his head down on the book he was currently reading. "If she's _not_ a homunculus then I'll need some light as to what else she could be" he said to himself. Great, he was talking to himself…. This Tirist was making him crazy! He went back to the book loathing the thief and cursed when he came across another passage. "Well, she can't be a homunculus… Homunculi and chimeras can't be mixed, and there's no doubt those ears and tail are real…" he groaned, "Then what the hell is she?" The clock tower outside chimed six times, signaling that it was six o'clock, and the library would be closing soon. He gathered the books he had been going through and approached the front desk.

The young redheaded librarian looked up from the book she had been reading and smiled, "Find what you were looking for?" she asked, adjusting her round-framed glasses.

"Not really" Edward responded, sighing.

The woman stamped the books, and read each title, "How about looking over this one?" she asked, producing a book from the shelf behind her. The title was in Latin, but when he flipped through the book, he found the rest of it to be in English. (1) Edward nodded and the woman stamped that book too, "My name's Jacqueline" she said, handing the book to Ed, "If you need any other restricted books, feel free to ask me" Edward just stared at her incredulously. "What?" the redhead asked.

"You're giving me access to books only accessible by the Fuhrer?" he asked.

Jacqueline grinned and nodded, "Yeah!" she said.

"Why?"

Jacqueline shrugged, "You're working on something complicated," she said, "I'm sure you're not doing anything illegal, and—" she looked at the clock on the wall, "Whoops, time to close, I wanna go home" she said, winking at the blonde, and standing up.

"Well, umn, thank you" Edward said.

"No problem" the redheaded woman said, grinning, "Figure Tirist out soon" she added to herself when the blonde was out of earshot.

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**AM: Wow, short chapter…. I'll get the next one out Saturday though… Yeah…**.**  
TK: ……..****  
AM: You don't talk a lot anymore… why?****  
TK: (shrugs)****  
AM: Well, whatever, here's what I have to say:**

**(1) Well, I don't really know whether to say English or Japanese…. Since in the anime and manga the titles of books and stuff are in English….**

**AM: Uh… five reviews this time, if that's not too much to ask…. I really want reviews, I'm desperate! XP PLEASE!**


	6. Chapter V

**AM: (sigh) I said Saturday, I _meant_ Saturday…. But I couldn't log into until today! WTH? Yeah, it wouldn't let me log in, was this happening to anyone else, or am I just special? TxT  
TK: I think it's just you…  
AM: I am so sorry, everyone! I feel really bad, because I promised you Saturday, and I wasn't able to keep it U.U (Staring in horror at mob of readers with guns, swords, and knives.) JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!  
TK: Just shut up and get to the story!  
AM: FINE!**

**Thanks:**** yosei11, and forestdemon**  
** Ultrasuperspecialglompfilledthanks to:**** Neo Diji, and ChuckleDoodleDoo for leaving such super spiffy reviews!  
**

**Disclaimer:**** Of course I own Fullmetal Alchemist! I thought everyone knew that! (dodges bullets, and knives) Ahem, that is, no, I _don't_ own it! (sheepish grin)**

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**Chapter V**

Alphonse pulled an old looking book off the shelf of the small Risembul library, titled _The Philosopher's Stone._ The pages were yellowed with age; the leather-bound cover was still in almost perfect condition, however, which struck Alphonse as odd. He concluded that the book had been sitting on the shelf ever since the library had first shelved it, because it was also covered in thick layer of dust. Which made him wonder exactly when the book was published… Even though Edward had already obtained a Philosopher's Stone, and returned the younger Elric's body to it's normal state, something about the book called out too him. The feeling was indescribable, but he felt like the book _needed_ to be looked at. He set the book down among others on chimeras, homunculi, and some other books, including a few on jewelry. He plopped down in the hard chair at the table he was stationed at and reread the letter from his brother. It talked about the thief, and how she had made a few robberies while he, Roy, and Alphonse were at Winry's getting Edward's arm repaired, since it was ruined when he came back from Germany. It also briefly described the meetings the unit had encountered with Tirist. Edward had even taken the liberty of listing all the things the chimera had stolen thus far: _So far, she's taken an emerald ring, a paradot brooch, a granite choker, an amber anklet, a ruby necklace, and a turquoise bracelet._

Alphonse wrinkled his nose, she seemed like a common thief to him. Well, actually, most thieves would take everything in the store, and the money in the cash register. Plus, some of the things Tirist stole weren't even the most expensive items in the store, like the ring, and the brooch…. Well, she was a puzzle, that was for sure, but if there was one thing Alphonse loved more than Winry –which honestly, there wasn't- it was puzzles. He opened the first book on chimeras in hope of an answer.

oOo

In Roy's study, Edward reread the text in front of him, his eyes widening as his eyes scanned the page carefully. He then stood up from the desk he was sitting at in surprise, "She's… she's…" he stammered.

"She's what, Koi?" Roy asked looking up from the book he was reading.

"Genetically altered" the blonde murmured.

Roy cocked his head to the side, "Aren't all chimeras?" he asked, shutting the book.

"No, no" Edward replied, turning toward the man, "Her abilities have been… enhanced, her insides have been changed." He said, he then began to pace, as he often did, when trying to explain something, "That's the only explanation I can come up with. It's not humanly possible for her to be so fast, and so strong, and I know she's not a homunculus." He ran his fingers through his hair in an almost nervous, frantic motion.

Roy frowned, seeing the blonde so worked up over something like this… He supposed it was the thought of humans being altered, and experimentations that worked him up, though. He also wondered how the librarian would know about the book. Maybe she knew what Tirist was the whole time, but didn't feel that it was her place to tell Edward. Who would know? People could be strange sometimes… Then, he remembered the letter Edward had sent his brother a few days ago, "any news from your brother?" he asked.

"No, and this whole thing is just stressing me out" Edward replied raking his fingers through his hair again.

Roy smirked inwardly and stood up. He walked up behind the younger alchemist, and while placing a kiss on the younger man's neck; he wrapped his arms around the slightly smaller man's waist. Edward, in response, leaned against Roy's chest, and made a pleased noise when Roy kissed him again. He turned around in the dark-haired man's hold, so the two were facing, and crushed his lips against the older man's. Roy immediately took control of the kiss, running his tongue along the younger man's lower lip, asking for entrance, which Edward immediately granted. Their tongues danced together until air was needed. The both parted, but were at each other again, Edward's fingers tangled into Roy's raven hair, and Roy began unbuttoning the shirt Edward was wearing. Edward sighed and broke the kiss, and the dark haired man took that moment to scoop the younger alchemist up, bridal style and carry him upstairs to their bedroom.

oOo

(Oh, damn, I skipped another lemon)

This couldn't be right. Alphonse reasoned that it was merely a trick of the light, and reread the passage. He stared in shock, for written there in the large leather bound book was:

'When combined, the emerald ring, paradot brooch, garnite choker, amber anklet, ruby necklace, turquoise bracelet, sapphire wristband, amethyst sword hilt, and silver staff, aid in forming the most powerful alchemic amplifier known to man' 

He reread the letter from his brother, to find that the items listed in the letter, were also listed in the book he was reading. So, she was trying to create a Philosopher's Stone, then, he concluded, frowning. Edward needed to know as soon as possible. The dirty blonde boy picked up the leather bound book and made his way over to the librarian, trying not to look worried, though he was. No matter what, a Philosopher's Stone involved human sacrifices, and that meant somebody would get hurt. If there was one thing Al hated more than starving kittens, it was somebody else going through pain. He hurried home, and noticed that it was starting to get dark; he hoped he could catch a train to Central at this time.

"Welcome home, Alphonse-kun!" a 12-year-old girl with long snow white hair, bound in a braid that brushed her calves, and soft doe brown eyes chirped, looking up from the automail leg she had been assembling.

"Hello, Grace," Al replied, "Where's Winry?"

Grace returned to her work, but still replied, "She went shopping, she said she'd be back around eight." The girl replied tightening a bolt in the artificial limb.

Alphonse glanced at the clock on the wall: 7:10. He sighed and looked at Winry's apprentice mechanic, working her hardest on the part in front of her, "Well, will you tell her I have to go to Central for something important when she gets back?" he asked the junior mechanic.

Grace looked up from her work and wrinkled her nose, "What for?" she asked, "Why are you going, I mean." She clarified, when Alphonse frowned.

"I have to talk to my brother, and I have to show him something." Al explained.

Grace nodded, "Something about alchemy, right?" the snow haired girl could be too smart for her own good sometimes, "Tell Edward-kun, and Mustang-san that I said 'hello', okay?" she asked returning again to her work.

Al smiled, "Of course" he replied, turning to the door. Grace had met his brother and the general a week ago, when Edward had come to Risembul to get his automail repaired, and when they had visited, Alphonse had decided to stay with Winry instead of returning to Central with his brother. It had been Grace who figured out Edward and Roy's engagement in the first several minutes the three were there, and it was also Grace who set everything up, so Winry would catch Roy and Edward together, and in turn, he would have to tell Winry about the engagement. Grace was a clever girl, and a little too interested in other people's affairs, but she loved automail nearly as much as Winry…. Winry still loved it more…. A lot more. Come to think of it, maybe Grace _didn't_ like automail as much as Winry….

"Bye Alphonse-kun!" the snow haired girl called out, when Al closed the door. He then remembered that he had to catch the last train to Central for the night, and ran all the way to the station.

OOo

Edward woke the next morning to someone running their fingers through unplaited hair. He slowly opened his golden orbs, and Roy smiled back at him, "Morning, Koi" he greeted causally.

Ed smiled back, "G'morning" he replied back, snuggling closer to his raven-haired fiancée. Roy placed a light kiss on the golden haired man's forehead, before placing his chin atop said man's head. "What time is it?" Edward asked, still trying to shake out of the holds of sleep.

"Mmn… about 11 o'clock" the darker haired man replied, before burying his face in golden tresses.

Edward hummed in acknowledgement, and closed his eyes again, breathing in the cinnamon and charcoal scent that seemed to cling to Roy. They fell into a comfortable silence, cuddled together, until a knock at the door broke it. The two reluctantly pulled apart, and Roy quickly pulled on a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt, not bothering to button it, however, and rushed down the stairs. "Alphonse?" he asked in confusion, when he pulled the front door open.

Alphonse looked up at the taller man, "General-" he started, then corrected himself, when he saw the dark haired man frown, "Erm, _Roy_ I found something about that Tirist woman." He said.

Edward came down the stairs quickly, still buttoning his own shirt "like what?" he asked when he reached the bottom.

Al blinked, "Well…."

Roy ushered him inside, and Edward sat down on the couch in the living room. Al sat down next to his brother, and after Roy shut the door, he sat down on the other side, casually draping an arm around the younger man's shoulders. Alphonse smiled to himself at the display of affection, and continued, "Anyway, all those things you said she took…" he paused to open the leather bound book that was clutched in his hands, and pointed out the paragraph that had caught his eye last night.

The two men read it, and Edward looked at Roy, "She said she wasn't an alchemist," he said. Roy only nodded absently. Edward frowned. She said she wasn't an alchemist, yet she was, according to Al, planning to form some kind of Philosopher's Stone. What use would she have with the Philosopher's Stone? Unless maybe she wasn't planning to create a Philosopher's Stone, maybe she had no idea. Or perhaps, she was working for someone else… His frown deepened, what did that mean? What _was_ Tirist?

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**AM: Eh….. a lot of akwardness… that whole chapter was kind of difficult for me to write, because I cut out a big segment since it all seemed... unrealistic... So I kinda merged two chapters together, but I also kind of cut it up… the whole chapter was difficult for me to do…….. (sighs) I'm sorry for how crappy that RoyEd scene turned out too……. I've been having some serious family related issues, as of late…. If you're really curious as to what they are, just read my Live Journal (asahi-Minako .livejournal. com) (nods) sorry it was so….. awful… I don't know. (sigh) I'm gonna go read Memoirs of a Geisha now, see you all Saturday.**

**-Ai**

**Minako-baka**


	7. Chapter VI

**AM: Okay, I have a load of apologies. I'm late….. Just a little this time, though. My explaination? One of my friends is in the hospital, we don't know why…. Usually when faced with this kind of situation, I type like crazy…. But I wasn't in the mood all day… Also, I was looking over my rough draft of this story, and I'm not too fond of how short it's turning out….. and….. stuff…. So, I can either keep the short plot, or I can add stuff to it and make it a hell of a lot more complicated, that, however is your call. And yet another thing! I'm so sorry! When I spliced and cut those two chapters last time, I failed to notice that I had a little left that I could have added there. If I put the last of that in with this next chapter things don't run smoothly….. NYANG! I'm so upset with myself right now….. U.U And I'm upset with Ashli for not going to the nurse on Thursday when I told her too, and now she's sick…. And those family problems are still running strong (stronger than last time) and….. DAMMIT! I HATE THIS! I'm sorry, this isn't livejournal, nobody really cares about my problems here…. I'm in a kinda emo mood… (which is funny, because I hate emo…) It won't affect my writing since this is all prewritten, I'm so sorry, though, you guys. I'm so sorry this chapter will be so short! I'm so sorry that it's 1:29 am now, which means I'm late. I'm so sorry! I'll just stop complaining and get on with the story now.**

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Chapter VI**

The shrill ring of Roy's telephone filled the house for a moment, interrupting the discussion of a certain blonde thief. The dark haired man reached for it, and before he greeted the person on the other line spoke.

"Sir, another message from Tirist." It was Riza there was some shuffling of papers, and muffled voices in the background.

"Very well, then" Roy replied, "What is the location?"

Riza took the time to yell at someone in the office, "LIEUTENANT, WOULD YOU CALM YOURSELF!" She cleared her throat, and chuckled in an almost uncharacteristic way, "The Central Museum," she replied into the phone.

Roy blinked, lieutenant could be almost anyone…. Who could she be yelling at? An image of a screaming raven haired woman flashed through his mind…. Oh, right, her. "Alright then, we'll meet you there about six o'clock" he said into the phone.

"Okay, sir" Riza replied, hanging up.

"Whatever happened to 'goodbye'?" he asked, hanging up as well. He sighed and looked over at his blonde lover, and soon to be brother-in-law, "Tirist's headed to a museum tonight" he said looking just a little tired.

Edward looked over at his brother expectantly, "Will you come, Al?" he asked, hoping Alphonse would come, so he could get a second opinion on Tirist.

Al nodded, "But I'll have to call Winry first" he said.

Roy held out the receiver of the telephone for the younger Elric to pick up. Ed smiled when the teen dialed the number, and grinned when Winry answered.

"Hey, Winry" Al said, his grin widening if that was even possible, "Um… I'm going to stay with Nii-san tonight, to help him with something" he said, his face took on a serious look the second he said 'something'. Winry said something on the other line, and Al nodded, but soon realized that Winry couldn't see him, "Okay," he said, "bye" he hung up the phone and turned to his brother, "She wished us luck, and Grace wants you guys to finish the case before I come home" he said.

Edward grinned, it would be like the days before the Philosopher's Stone, when he and Al went on missions together, except…. He glanced over at Roy, who had picked up the book Alphonse had brought over earlier.

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**AM: Oh jeez…. That's so short! I'm so sorry! Anyway, I need your opinion in this, I have to rewrite a few chapters anyway (in the rough draft, it's stuff that hasn't been posted yet) and I want to know if I should stick some stuff in, and complicate the plot some more, to lengthen the story, or stick with the 14 or so chapters I have now? It's your call, cause I'm good with either. (if I stick with the 14 or so, there'll be yet another story out soon…..) Heh, anyway, I'll see you next Saturday. I hope nothing will go wrong next time. U.U**

**-Ai**

**Minako-baka**


	8. Chapter VII

**AM: It's been a while, eh?  
TK: "Every Saturday" eh?  
AM: Ummmmn…. Shit happens?  
TK: T.T  
AM: Well it does! But I'm back! And hopefully I'll update next Saturday too. :) Right… I'm not going to whine to you about the shit that's been happening here… Since I try to make it my policy not to make excuses… So yeah…. I'll just get on with it… But if you're wondering, yes, along with all the crap that's been happening, I've been lacking motivation… but hopefully it's come back… (Hopefully)**

**Disclaimer: no**

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Chapter VII 

Tirist grinned; she was in an unusually good mood today. She couldn't say why, because not even she was sure. Maybe it was that Mirra had offered to give Neko the last artifact, so Tirist didn't have to talk to him, but she couldn't say for sure.

Without bothering to sneak around, she sauntered up to the front entrance of the Central Museum, and greeted the guards with an overconfident smirk.

The two guards exchanged confused looks, and looked back at where she had been standing a few moments ago. Now, however Tirist was standing behind the two, and hit them both in the back of the head, hard enough to render them both unconscious. She smirked, and flung the French doors open, her smirk widening to show off ivory fangs. She waltzed down the hallway, taking down the occasional guard in the same fashion that she had taken down the two at the door, until she came to a small room. In the center sat a golden tiara inside a glass case. She hadn't planned on taking this, but it was pretty, and she was allowed to steal what she pleased as well as what Neko told her to, right? She nodded to herself, grinned, and approached the case.

"Stop where you are!" Roy shouted, his hand poised to snap.

Tirist turned around, still grinning, "Well, if it isn't my military friends from the jewelry stores," she said, "Miss blonde, you're looking more beautiful than ever." She said to Riza, who wrinkled her nose in disgust, earning a chuckle. "I suppose you've come to stop me, eh?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"That's right" Riza answered, cocking her pistol.

Tirist faked a yawn, "Well, I'll be seeing you." She said, ignoring Riza's answer. She broke the glass, and plucked the tiara from its resting place on the velvet cushion. She set it on her head, and smiled, "Pretty, eh?" she asked.

Edward ran forward, and Tirist moved in her breakneck speed behind him, flipping his braid over his shoulder for the fun of it, and running out of the doorway.

She laughed to herself, and called out, "Catch me if you can!" before slipping into another room.

"Oh wow." She breathed walking into the room. Mounted on the far wall was a magnificent Japanese katana. The hilt was pure silver, decorated with amethyst stones. The scabbard as well, was covered in the violet stones, and intricate designs of silver. She reached up and ran a gloved hand across the sheath.

"Okay, now you're through." Edward called out. Tirist looked over her shoulder and grabbed the sword off the mount. She gripped the hilt, as though she possessed years of experience wielding a sword.

"Sorry, Shorty, I'm not into guys." She said, smiling sweetly.

Edward was taken aback, and sputtered, "Well, I don't like girls!" Roy slapped his forehead in response.

"Ah!" the chimera said, "Looks like we've got somethin' in common!" as an afterthought, she added, "Sort of…" she rested the dull side of the sword on her shoulder, "Anyway," she said, "I've got things to do…" She placed the sword in its sheath, and moved in a blur of grey and blonde, past the officers, before stopping at Riza. "Be seeing you." She said in the blonde woman's ear, causing her to shudder. She then ran out the doors, leaving the whole unit silent.

oOo

"This time we'll be ready for her!" Roy announced, pounding a fist on the desk, "There's only one thing left on her list."

"Actually, General, there are two things." Al corrected.

Roy went through the list in his mind. The amber, the emerald, the paradot, the garnet, the ruby, the turquoise, the amethyst… the sapphire armlets, and silver staff were left…. Drat, the kid was right. "Yes, well, we'll be ready for her this time." He repeated.

"But we don't know where she'll strike next" Havoc protested.

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter!" he commanded in his most authoritative voice.

Ms. Jukado walked in, scowling, "Brrr! Jukado-sensei's ice cold!" the raven-haired second lieutenant chirped from behind her.

"I'm _NOT_ a teacher!" the blonde snapped, then turned her attention to the people in the room, "Another message from Tirist." She said, handing the closest person –who happened to be Sergeant Ishida- a piece of paper.

"Ice woman!" the moronic second lieutenant chided.

"Thank you, Ms. Jukado." Roy said, "And please send the Fuhrer our deepest apologies about our inability to capture Tirist thus far."

Jukado waved her hand dismissively, "It's fine, it's fine," she reassured the man, "He still trusts you can catch her."

"Brrrrrrr!" The raven-haired woman called out.

"Will you shut up!" Jukado snapped, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

From behind the door, there was quite a bit of muffled screaming from the other side of the door, followed by a thump, and the clicking of Jukado's heels against the tile floor.

"Sergeant, the file" Roy said, holding his hand out expectantly.

"Yes, sir" the brunette said, handing her commanding officer the paper, which he took. He sat back down behind his desk, however they all missed the smirk Hatsue gave when the general sat down.

"The Taikugi Jewelry Store," he said, reading the location off the page. However, he failed to notice the eraser smears, or the fact that it was written first in pencil, then gone over in pen, or how the handwriting changed just slightly on the word Taikugi.

"So, are we going now, or what?" Breda asked, growing bored with chasing some stupid thief around. It wasn't a huge deal. Why was everyone taking it so seriously?

"Yes." Roy answered, standing up. "We'll be ready for her this time." He put his black overcoat on, and walked out the door. Alphonse was the only one to notice, that Roy's coat billowed as if he were wearing a cape, and the rest of the team following him like that looked pretty impressive.

oOo

"Sir" Ms. Jukado said, looking up from the papers she was filing through.

"Yes, Jukado?" Akatsuka asked, placing his signature on a piece of paper, and looking up.

Ms. Jukado was slightly shocked by the blonde man's expression, he looked much more serious than usual today. However, she didn't say anything, rather continued with what she was saying, "The small girl that was abducted about two weeks ago has been returned to her family, unscathed." She said, looking back down at the papers, "The girl claimed that the abductors told her she wasn't 'the one' and let her go."

Akatsuka furrowed his brow, "What did the girl look like?" he asked.

Ms. Jukado wondered why it mattered, but produced the picture anyway. The girl had light blonde, almost white hair, and dark hazel eyes.

Akatsuka merely nodded, and returned to his paperwork.

Ms. Jukado sighed; Akatsuka most certainly was an enigma. Sooner or later, she would learn why he cared what the girl looked like, but not now. The criminals were beginning to get more complicated lately as well.

oOo

Tirist smirked, not a single guard was posted anywhere near the Chikako Jewelry store, and if she was lucky, those pesky military personnel wouldn't be there either. She looked around cautiously, nothing around but an alley cat, and the only light given off was from the waxing moon, almost full, but not quite there yet. She assumed it would be full tomorrow or the next day, but she wasn't there to look at the moon! She scolded herself. She was here to steal something! Slowly, the grey-clad chimera pushed open the door, listening to the small bells jingle as she did so. Still nothing, even though she made that noise… Odd. This was too easy, and it was unnerving.

The blonde cautiously entered the small shop, looking around every so often. There really was nobody here! Were they planning on ambushing her? She closed her eyes and listened around. All she could hear was the fly on the ceiling, and the rat in the alley next to the shop. She couldn't hear breathing or a heartbeat nearby, which meant there really was nobody here. A thought hit her. What if Hatsue was finally doing her job? Getting a hold of the information, and changing it at last? She stepped up to the display case with this in mind, and easily broke the glass. She pulled out a pair of silver armlets decorated with sapphires, and placed them on her arms. Tomorrow, she would finally be able to use the Philosopher's Stone! One more item, which Mirra insisted on stealing, and they'd have it! When she exited the store, her heart sank; she really had been looking forward to seeing that blonde again. The blonde… She was the spitting image of Yumi… well, her hair was longer, but other than that… She heaved a sigh, "Yumi-koi" she muttered, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

oOo

Edward yawned, "Roy" he whined, "It's well past midnight, and she's still not here." Tirist hadn't shown up yet, and he was tired of being used as a pillow by his brother. Not that Alphonse was a bad person or anything; just that Edward didn't like people using him as a pillow.

Mustang frowned, the blonde was right, Tirist always came to make her claim before midnight, so why would she chose now to be late?

Hatsue buried her face into the novel she brought with her, and smirked.

Another hour passed, and still nothing. Edward was still being used as a pillow, while he sat there, glaring at the door, as if the door was the one to blame for their misfortune. Roy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair "Okay" he muttered after a long pause, "I don't think she's coming, you're all dismissed."

The soldiers sloppily saluted, and left, dragging their feet, and grumbling, back to the military dorms, or their houses.

When Riza unlocked the door to her apartment, she did _not_ expect to see a sad looking Tirist, seated on an armchair, absently scratching behind Black Hayate's ears.

"You!" she exclaimed, tossing her keys onto a nearby table and reaching for the gun in its holster.

Tirist looked up in surprise, she had forgotten where she was for a moment. She then smiling sadly, she stood up from the chair, and made her way over to the blonde woman, saying absolutely nothing.

Something in the chimera's eyes made Riza replace the gun, and look at the other woman quizzically.

Tirist stood about a foot away from the woman, and smiled. It was a blend between a warm smile, and a saddened one.

They just stood there, for a while, looking each other in the eye, the air wasn't tense or anything, just… there. Before she noticed it, Tirist was moving toward the other blonde, slowly, but before their lips touched, the chimera's orange optics widened in horror. She stepped back, "S-sorry" she stuttered, grabbing the window frame of the nearby window. In the next moment, Tirist had leaped from the 14th story window, to the ground, landing safely on her feet.

Riza looked out the window after the fleeing chimera. She didn't know why she hadn't shot the thief when she found her in her house, or why she let the thief get away… but she did, and she had no desire of telling anyone about this… Tirist had been hurt in her past. That was for sure.

* * *

**AM: Okay, that was a little longer than a few of the others, eh? I'm really in the mood to write right now, and you guys deserve it, so I'll post another chapter tonight, okay? XD Love you all!  
TK: She's oddly upbeat tonight…  
AM: Yeah! I am!**

**-Ai**

**Minako-baka**


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